www.bandedbirds.org
Have you seen a shorebird with colored bands or numbered flags on its legs? You can report your sighting at BandedBirds.org. The web site asks for a description on the bands, the location of the sighting, the date and time, the weather, the birds environment, the size of the flock and how many banded birds were in the flock, etc.
Once you’ve reported the bird, the web site will tell you where the bird was banded and where it has been sighted since being banded.
I saw the Red knot below on Treasure Island, Florida and reported my “re-sighting” (it was sighted once when it was banded–new sightings are “re-sightings.”) The site gave me a very interesting history of the bird. I can’t reveal that here because one of the conditions of using the web site is that information the site discloses about the bird cannot be republished anywhere.
I photographed this Red knot on Treasure Island, Florida and was able to learn where it was banded and where it has been sighted by using the bandedbirds.org website.
The species most targeted by banders are:
- Red knot
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Sanderling
- Semi-palmated sandpiper
- American oystercatcher
Report banded shorebird sightings at www.bandedbirds.org
Learn what to observe about banded birds so you can report your sighting properly. If you can, photograph not only the banded bird, but the whole flock.
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Thanks for blogging about this important issue and bringing attention to the reason for banding birds. The reported resightings are very helpful and important to the scientists studying these birds to help determine many details of their lives, including which areas they use for wintering grounds and migratory stopovers. This helps with resource conservation!